NEW YORK (AP) -- U.S. retail gas prices extended their record run Thursday, adding to the pain consumers feel every time they fill up. Experts predict prices will rise even higher as peak summer driving season approaches.

ATLANTA (AP) -- Another day and hundreds more flights grounded. The financial toll and loss of goodwill among travelers from the debacle that spread further Thursday beyond American Airlines' massive cancellations could be severe -- on an industry already reeling from high fuel costs.

This week's flight cancellations by American Airlines are likely to spread to other U.S. airlines in the weeks ahead as federal regulators step up a by-the-book review of carriers' compliance with maintenance and safety orders issued in recent years.

Transportation shutting down. Getting More Expensive to Drive or travel anywhere. Flying is becoming more difficult and expensive everyday. And NOW the Federal Government is grounding airplanes as four airlines shut down last week? Truckers are pulling off to the side of the road as Diesel crosses $4.00 per gallon. Try looking at fuel surcharges for shipping goods. No wonder UPS warned of further deterioration in March.

Our Budget Deficit is tracking at a Historical High just as our President is leaving office. Our trade deficit is increasing again. Our dollar is crashing. Inflation is heating up and jobs are being axed by the thousands everyday.

The wealth of Americans is eroding daily. Housing values collapsing. Bond values collapsing. Dollar collapsing. Not only that, the price of almost everything we pay for is going through the roof. Airline tickets, food, fuel, transportation save bicycles and walking(unless of course you decide to eat or drink durning such activity).

And the government is telling us to wait to see if the stimulous package works? Are we nuts? Credit is tighening everywhere. If you are a student trying to get a loan. A business trying to expand its line of credit. A city trying to issue a bond. It is harder or more expensive for practically anyone or anything trying to raise funds.

And the Fed's solution? Increase Regulation!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You gotta be Freaking kidding me.!!!!!! Increasing regulation is shutting down our economy.

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said Thursday that regulators must move ahead on ways to prevent a future financial crisis from occurring even as they battle one that threatens to plunge the country into recession.

"The heavy hand of special interests has again had too much influence on this bill," Obama said. "Special interests have insisted on putting in unnecessary tax breaks for the profits enjoyed by home builders during their boom years, and on keeping out a change to our bankruptcy laws that would remove preferential treatment for mortgage lenders."

Our debt, both personal and governmental, is staggering and our economy is also fairly shaky, but from an investing standpoint shouldn't we welcome both of these things. Our national debt is weakening the dollar, the weaker dollar is increasing inflation since we're in import country, and inflation is scaring consumers, since our economy is based on consumption not production our markets are in the dumps. Now on the surface this would seem bad, but from an investing standpoint it's awesome. Stocks are cheap and likely to stay that way for a while, provided you believe that while consumers are scared they won't actually panic, which means the market won't recover, but also won't drop much farther than it is. Anyway, that's my admittedly simple take on the whole thing.

I say it's time to start breaking out the green thumb with a vengeance!

It is important to note that I'm only 26, and just started investing for retirement over the past year. I barely had any money in the market when it started dropping, and I won't be pulling the money out for at least a few decades.

"otentially we could be looking at $5 to $7 Trillion dollars of First Mortgages, Second Mortgages, and HELOCs underwater.Can anyone explain how on earth this is going to be worked out? "

This is going to be worked out very easily. You will stay underwater for a while. You will not be driving a brand new Porche payed for with ATM dollars, but your grocery store, your pharmacy and your gas station will still serve you as usual. Soon you'll realize that the world does not come to an end because alstry lives in a cheap house :)